INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH CHAPTER 24

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erusalem is fallen and Judea is ruined ̶God has overthrown the entire country ̶God has cut off head and tail. The leaders had lead them to ruin. They had transgressed the law, followed the abominations of the heathen and polluted the house of the Lord. They mocked and despised the prophets and went so far away that there was no remedy. The land was mourning and the forest was ashamed. They had changed the ordinances and broken the everlasting covenant they had defiled themselves with the nations that God had spued out. They sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils─the land was polluted with blood─this people would not walk in God’s ways─they were cursed in the city and on their farms─cursed when they came in and cursed when they went out─therefore, they shall surely perish from the land. The comments in this chapter will provide more insight to this catastrophe.

EXPOSITION TO ISAIAH CHAPTER 24

1Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

God is overturning cities̶̶̶̶̶─buckling the earth─emptying the land of its inhabitants.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT MAKE THE CASE:

Jer 4:7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. Read: Isa 1:7-9; Isa 5:6; Isa 6:11-12; Isa 7:17-25; Isa 32:13-14; Deu 4:27

2And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

Isa 9:14-17 Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. Read: Isa 3:2-8; 2Ch 36:14-17; Hos 4:9

3The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.

God is going to strip the land of its inhabitants and lay bare all the earth for the Lord has spoken his word.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT INDORSE THE TEXT:

Lev 26:30-35 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. Read: Deu 29:28; 2Ch 36:21

4The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.

Conditions were so bad that the earth was crying out and having a fainting spell─the whole world was getting weaker.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT LEND EVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:

Isa 33:9 The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. Read: Jer 12:4; Hos 4:3

5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

These people have set aside Gods laws, defiled the land with pollution─it has been desecrated by those who live in it.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT DEMONSTRATE THE TEXT:

Gen 6:11-13 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Read: Lev 18:24-28; Num 35:33; Psa 106:36-39

6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

Because the people had committed these abominations the earth was under a curse and its people were paying the price for their defilement.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT AUTHENTICATE THE TEXT:

Isa 42:24-25 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. Read: Deu 28:15-20; Deu 30:18-19; Jos 23:15-16; Mal 2:2

7The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.

Vines are withering ─Grapes are dried up─the party folks are sighing.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

ESTABLISH THE CERTAINTY OF THE TEXT:

Isa 16:8 For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea. Read: Isa 32:10; Hos 9:1-2; Joe 1:10-12

8The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

The shouts of the jubilant jet set has ceased─the mirth of tambourines and the harp is silent.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

ESTABLISH THE CERTAINTY OF THE TEXT:

Jer 25:10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.

Hos 2:11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

9They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

Strong drink is bitter because of the pour crops of grapes all of their liquor has a bad taste and their beer is sour.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

PRESENT OVERWHELMING PROOF OF THE TEXT:

Isa 5:11-12 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. Read: Amo 6:5-7; Amo 8:10

10The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

Houses are boarded up─authorities have red tagged houses and put up no trespassing signs. No one is allowed to return to his home for his belongings.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT ATTEST TO THE TEXT:

Isa 32:14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; Read: Isa 34:13-15; 2Ki 25:9-10

11There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

Riots are forming and there is an outcry for wine─joy has vanished like the morning dew─no one is laughing now─mobs are forming in the streets─good times has vanished and life is at it lowest ebb in years─everyone is longing for the good old days.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT ARE CONCLUSIVE AND FINAL:

Lam 5:14-15 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick. The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning. Read: Hos 7:14; Joe 1:15-17; Jer 48:33

12In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

All that is left in the city is ruin and rubble─hinges and bars on the gates are missing─people have moved away!

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT RATIFY THE TEXT:

Jer 9:11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. Read: Isa 32:14; Lam 2:9

13When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

The picture that the prophet leaves us is like an olive tree after it has been picked and there is a few straglers on the uppermost boughs and someone climbs it and shakes it to get the few that are left or to change the metaphor it is like a grape vineyard that has been picked and there are a few grapes left for the gleaners (poor people). The land looked like a picked orchard or vineyard with not many people left.

Isa 1:9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Read: Eze 6:8-11; Eze 9:4-6

14They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

The people that are left will sing and shout for joy─they will thank the lord for what remains and that they are not among the fatalities.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT BEAR OUT THE TEXT:

Isa 12:1-2 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Read Isa 35:10-12

15Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

They had gone through the fire and had experienced traitors, treachery, deceivers, plunderers and robbers and still they praised the Lord and gave him glory.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

SPEAK VOLUMES ABOUT THE TEXT:

Job 35:9-10 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

Hab 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

16From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

From the places afar off─from the ends of the earth songs were hymned to the glorious God. But they were saying woe unto me, my leanness, my leanness. They were so miserable that they proclaimed that they were wretched and ruined. There was treachery everywhere.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT SHED LIGHT ON THE TEXT:

Isa 45:22-25 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. Read: Isa 66:19-22; Psa 106:15; Jer 5:11; Jer 12:6

17Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

They had gone through panic, pitfalls and plots. They were living in fear and terror and the captivity of hell every moment.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

GIVE COUNTEREVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:

Lev 26:21-22And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. Read: Jer 48:43-44; Eze 14:21

18And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

The flood gates of heaven were opened and God was pouring out destruction upon the world and all its foundations were shaken beneath her and as the old saying is true they had got out of the frying pan into the fire.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT CONFIRM THE TEXT:

Amo 5:19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Read: Deu 32:23-26

19The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

The earth was bursting, cracking and shaken violently─probably from a tornado or an earthquake.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

GIVE AUTHORITIVE DATA TO THE TEXT:

Jer 4:23-28 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. Read: Nah 1:5; Isa 34:4-8

20The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

The earth was being shaken by the almighty like a drunkard staggering under the influence of hard liquor. It was rocking back and forth like a night-hut and swaying like a hammock. It was swaying like a tent in a storm or a palm tree in a hurricane.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

CARRY WEIGHT REGARDING THE TEXT:

Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

Isa 1:8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Read: Hos 4:1-5

21And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

The high and mighty, the proud and arrogant and kings─none will escape when the Lord opens heavens windows of descruction.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT MAKE THE CASE:

Isa 14:1-2 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. Read: Isa 34:2-8; Psa 149:8-9; Joe 3:9-14,19; Hag 2:22

22And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

God will see to it that they are rounded up─locked up—and tried─convicted—condemned─and visited with swift judgment.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT ILLUMINATE THE TEXT:

Jos 10:22-23 Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

23Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

The moon is shamefaced ─the sun is red faced and humiliated─all the powers of the sky are disgraced.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT INDORSE THE TEXT:

Eze 32:7-8 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD. Read: Isa 30:26; Isa 13:10; Joe 2:31; Rev 11:15; Dan 7:9-10; Dan 7:18; Dan 7:27